Loom harness



Oct 1964 J. J. KAUFMANN 3, 54, 09

LOOM HARNESS Filed March 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 26%2 JOHN J. KAUFMAN/V 2 BY 2 @TQBWPa ATTORNEY Oct. 27, 1964 v.1. J. KAUFMANN LOOM HARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1962 INVENTOR.

JOHN J. KAUFMAN/V WM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,154,109 LOGM HARNES John J. Kanfmann, .lenkintown, Pan, assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philatleiphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 22, 1%2, er. No. 181,611 15 Claims. (Cl. 1139-92) This invention relates to loom harness, and more particularly to improved means for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends in loom harness frames used in installations in which the entering of the warp is effected by automatic drawing-in machines.

. Such harness frames, as is well known, require freedom of movement of the heddles on the rods from end to end of the frame.

The present invention relates to supporting means of the character aforesaid which is particularly adapted for use in frames of which the top and bottom rails are made from extruded shapes of metal.

Various supports for the heddle rods have heretofore been proposed and while these have proven satisfactory during the operation of the loom, difiiculties may be encountered because of the lengths of the rods and the weight of the assembled heddles and the rods on which they are mounted.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide means for supporting the heddle rods of loom harness frames intermediate their ends which is particularly suited for the quick and easy assembly of the heddle rods with a plurality of supports intermediate their ends.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends in which the heddle rods are resiliently but adjustably supported and in which the adjustments are made from the outside.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends in which a resilient support is provided, but the supporting structure is encased so as to be free from access by dust and lint.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends in which simple but effective adjustable mounting structure is provided without sacrifice of resiliency of support and without sacrifice of freedom of movement of the heddles on the heddle rods from end to end.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a loom harness frame with means in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, enlarged, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the details of the heddle rod supporting means;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional View, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

It should, of course, be understood that the description 3,154,100 Patented et. 2?, 1964 and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several vrews.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the heddle frame proper may be of conventional type, comprising top and bottom rails 10 connected at their ends by end struts 11 and having mounted therein upper and lower heddle rods 12 of thin fiat metallic strips upon which the heddles 13 are slidably mounted.

The rails 10 can be of well known type and preferably are formed as hollow extrusions of aluminum or other light metal. The rails 10, if made as extrusions, can have inner and outer wall sections 14 and 15, side wall sections 16, and an interior partition wall 17 parallel to the wall sections 14 and 15.

The heddles 13 can be of any desired type, such, for example, as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of my prior Patent No. 2,047,511.

The ends of the heddle rods 12 are supported in the heddle frame in any desired manner, such for example, as is shown in my prior Patent No. 2,560,512. With that type of end support, apertures 18 are provided in the end portions of the heddle rods 12 for engagement by heddle rod holding spring members 10 which are secured by rivets 20 to the end struts 11 of the frame.

In the preferred form of the supports for the heddle rods 12 intermediate their ends, as shown in detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the heddle rods 12, at each location where a support is desired, have a plate member 25 secured thereto by rivets 26.

A spacing member 27 through which the rivets 26 extend is interposed between the heddle rod 12 and the plate member 25 to permit the heddles 13 to move freely along the heddle rods 12 from end to end. The plate members 25 can advantageously be of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 2,796,083.

The plate members 25 are provided with longitudinal slots 28 near the edge thereof, and a spaced tongue portion 29 which extends from one of the end margins of the plate member 25 and is bent around and located so as to extend parallel to the portion of the plate member 25 which is disposed between the slot 28 and the outermost margin of the plate member 25.

The wall section 14 of the rail 10, at each location where support is desired, has an opening 30 therethrough of oval shape. A retaining head 31 is provided having a peripheral shape as at 32 complemental to the opening 30 in the rail for slidable movement vertically in the opening 30 while retained against rotation, and has a flattened portion 33 with an end tongue 34 for engagement in the slot 28.

A bolt 35 is provided extending through the end Wall 15 with its head 36 abutting at the end wall 15. The head 36 is exteriorly accessible for adjustment. The bolt 35 also extends through the partition wall 17 and is in threaded engagement in the head 31. A helical spring 37 of flat spring metal and acting in compression is provided interposed between the retaining head 31 and the partition wall 17 for normally urging the retaining head 31 in a predetermined direction, but permitting a slight movement in the opposite direction.

It is is desired to augment the force available at the spring 37, Or to change the restraining force applied on bolt 35, a leaf spring 40 can be provided having one end portion secured to the outer face of the rail by screws 4-1 and the other end portion extending over the head 36 of the bolt 35.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the retaining head 31a has a bolt 35 threaded a. (J: thereinto as before, the bolt head 36a being shown as countersunk in the rail end wall 15 but still accessible for adjustment. The retaining head 31a has a pair of spring mounting pins 38 secured thereto and extending therefrom but terminating in spaced relation to the partition Wall 17 to permit of limited movement of the retaining head. Each of the pins 38 has a helical spring 37a carried thereon abutting at one end against the partition wall 17 and at the other end against the retaining head 31a. The springs 3% permit of applying a greater spring force but in a balanced relation on the retaining head 31a.

It will be noted that the retaining heads 31 and 3111 have a limited sliding movement in the openings 3t but are prevented from turning or swinging by reason of the shape thereof. The flattened part 33 and end tongue 34 are likewise held against turning. The plates 25 when in clamped position will also be firmly held.

The structure described above provides a secure support for the heddle rods 12 intermediate their ends, with a resilient mounting which permits absorption of shocks while not having undue wear and which is adjustable to provide the original setting with the desired parallelism of the heddle rods 12 with respect to the rails 10.

I claim:

1. In loom harness including a heddle frame having top and bottom rails with hollow interior portions and heddle rods mounted in the frame in spaced relation to the rails, the means for supporting said heddle rods intermediate the ends thereof comprising, at each location, of support a holding member connected to said rod and mounted in one of said rails and having a head portion slidably mounted in said rail and a bolt extending within one of said interior portions with one end of the bolt in threaded engagement with said head portion and the other end of the bolt engaging the rail, and resilient means disposed within said one of said interior portions in engagement with the rail, said resilient means engaging said holding member for restraining outward movement of said holding member.

2. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said resilient means comprises a spring interposed between said head portion and a boundary of one of said interior portions.

3. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said resilient means comprises a coil spring interposed between said head portion and a boundary of one of said interior portions and carried by said bolt.

4. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said head portion has at least one spring receiving pin mounted thereon, and said resilient means comprises a pin carried coil spring interposed between said head portion and a boundary of one of said interior portions.

5. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said head portion has pins thereon on opposite sides of and parallel to said bolt, and said resilient means comprises coil springs on said pins interposed between said head portion and a boundary of one of said interior portions.

6. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which a resilient member is provided and comprises a leaf spring exteriorly carried on said rail and engaging said holding member.

7. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which a resilient member is provided and comprises a leaf spring exteriorly carried on said rail and engaging the other end of said bolt.

8. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said resilient means comprises a coil spring interposed between said head portion and an interior portion of said rail, and a leaf spring is provided carried on the exterior of said rail and engaging said holding member.

9. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said heddle rod has a plate member secured thereto and said holding member has a detachable connection to said plate member.

10. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said rails have inner and outer wall sections in enclosing relation to the interior portions, and said head portion is slidably mounted in the inner wall section.

11. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said rails have inner and outer wall sections in enclosing relation to the interior portions, said head portion is slidably mounted in the inner wall section, said bolt has a head, and the outer wall section provides an abutment for the bolt head.

12. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said rails have inner and outer wall sections and an interior partition wall intermediate said ,wall sections, and said interior partition wall provides an abutment for said resilient means.

13. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said rails have inner and outer wall sections and an interior partition wall intermediate said wall sections, and said resilient means comprises a spring interposed between said partition wall and said head portion.

14. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said rails have inner and outer wall portions and a resilient member is provided and is exteriorly mounted on one of said wall portions in engagement with said holding member.

15. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim 1 in which said rails have inner and outer wall portions and a resilient member is provided exteriorly mounted on said outer wall portion in engagement with the outer end of said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 2,619,991 Kaufmann Dec. 2, 1952 3,016,925 Graf Jan. 16, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 943,918 France Oct. 11, 1948 417,004 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1934 

1. IN LOOM HARNESS INCLUDING A HEDDLE FRAME HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS WITH HOLLOW INTERIOR PORTIONS AND HEDDLE RODS MOUNTED IN THE FRAME IN SPACED RELATION TO THE RAILS, THE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HEDDLE RODS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF COMPRISING, AT EACH LOCATION, OF SUPPORT A HOLDING MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID ROD AND MOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID RAILS AND HAVING A HEAD PORTION SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID RAIL AND A BOLT EXTENDING WITHIN ONE OF SAID INTERIOR PORTIONS WITH ONE END OF THE BOLT IN THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HEAD PORTION AND THE OTHER END OF THE BOLT ENGAGING THE RAIL, AND RESILIENT MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ONE OF SAID INTERIOR PORTIONS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RAIL, SAID RESILIENT MEANS ENGAGING SAID HOLDING MEMBER FOR RESTRAINING OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID HOLDING MEMBER. 